The Hawks lose Game 1 by 43 points, and it seemed worse
The Hawks tried to stop Dwight Howard. Fail. (Photo by Gary W. Green, Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando – The Hawks really believed they had a chance to steal Game 1, but the only crime committed here was fraud. The East’s No. 3 seed performed as if it were back in its glory days of Billy Knight burning lottery picks on guys named Williams.
The Hawks were tied after 14 minutes. Ten minutes later they trailed by 20 points. And it would — oh yes, it would — get doubly worse.
It’s no easy feat to trail a Round 2 playoff game by 41 points having played only 36 minutes, but the proud conquerors of Milwaukee managed it. They were down 85-44 after three quarters. And I say it again: This is why so few folks outside Atlanta, and many folks in Atlanta, don’t take seriously a team that won 53 games this season and has survived a Game 7 in each of the two springs.
The Hawks tried really hard those first 14 minutes. Then the home team got going, and the visitors decided trying to play sound basketball really wasn’t worth the effort. So they ceased and desisted.
Joe Johnson kept losing the ball. (He had four turnovers against five points the first half.) Jamal Crawford looked scared. (His first half: Two points, two points.) And Mike Woodson’s grand scheme to control Dwight Howard worked for a little while, but the sheer weirdness of it — deploying the forgotten Jason Collins before the NBA’s sixth man of the year and the ancient Joe Smith in the first quarter — undid the team it was supposed to bolster.
The Hawks were so consumed by trying to bump and bedevil Howard they stopped running any semblance of an offense. (Collins made a basket and seemed shocked.) They scored 23 points in the first quarter; they managed 21 in the next two. They tried to go Iso-Joe and that didn’t work, so everyone decided to hoist jumpers. And the lead grew — it would peak at 112-66 — and the humiliation deepened, and the East’s No. 3 seed became something a No. 3 seed should never be: pitiable.
Joe Johnson wasn’t the only Hawk lacking this night — the line forms on the left and stretches to Daytona Beach — but he’s supposed to be the go-to guy, and he wasn’t. Not for lack of trying, though. He looked off an open Al Horford on the baseline in the second quarter to take a fadeaway jumper, which missed. In the third, the game long gone, Johnson started to pass to Jeff Teague and then, for the heck of it, shot another. Missed again.
To reiterate: This is the No. 3 seed, not the No. 8. Even if the Magic are superior — certainly a prima facie case can be made to that effect — they shouldn’t be 43 points better. But the Hawks keep going on the road in postseason and laying these dinosaur eggs and then wondering why we don’t give them credit for being a big-time team.
“This was uncharacteristic of us,” Johnson said afterward, but it was perfectly in character. This is a team that has played 13 road games the past three postseasons and has lost 11 of them, 10 by at least 19 points. Even if this was the most egregious, it was simply the continuation of a regrettable pattern.
Just when you think the Hawks have a chance to do something really good, they offer up a loss that makes you wonder if they’re any good at all. Yeah, yeah – it’s only one game and it still could be a long series, but the more the Hawks keep doing this the harder it is to write off one bad loss. Because there have been so many.
“It was frustrating,” Horford said. “Guys were trying, but we got a little distracted. We should be past that. We’re a good team. They’re not 40 points better than us.”
No team should be, the but Magic were in Game 1. Numerically, it was the worst playoff loss the Hawks have absorbed since moving to Atlanta. The only surprise was that it wasn’t the worst loss in the history of basketball. Because that’s how it smelled.
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219 comments Add your comment
Ben
May 4th, 2010
11:52 pm
Sadly it seems Atlanta’s best shot to win a title these days is a team that missed the playoffs (Falcons).
Point: don’t hold your breath
Rock Preston
May 4th, 2010
11:54 pm
I think we all know what needs to happen with this team in the offseason. We all are tired of this same song and dance mess. These cats never own up to being bad and unprofessional. All starts with the coach since the current GM didnt hire him. Bye Woody and Joke Johnson.
Nite Owl
May 4th, 2010
11:57 pm
phhbbbttt…
grrrr….
ack.
Sigh.
Publix
May 5th, 2010
12:01 am
The game is over, we are back to reality. Woodson is not the coach we need. Joe is not the leader he feels he may be.
What needs to be done, finish this series and then go to work.
Let Woody go! Make Avery Johnson your new coach!
Resign Joe and trade him to Clipers for Kaman and second round draft pick.
Trade Marvin and Bibby to Detroit for Gordon and cash.\
Sign Rudy Gay since he is a free agent!
Sign Garret Siller from Augusta State, he is HUGE and with the right coaching can become pretty good. Hire Davind Robinson as your assistant coach, he can develop Siller.
Now you look like this:
PG- Crawford/Teague
SG- Gordon/Evans
SF- Smith/Gay
PF- Horford/Zaza
C- Kaman/Siller
You still have 3 draft picks, one in first round two in second and West, Smith, Collins, Morris.
CONCERNED FRIEND
May 5th, 2010
12:06 am
O.K, we lost, but somebody tell me what Woodson said the game strategy of the Atlanta Hawks was?
Mark, you watch the Hawks a lot, mention 3, sorry,2, or even 1 GO TO play for this team offensively.
I stupidly expected ‘the coach’ to have a serious strategy, either a strong double on DH or single coverage.
P.S “Guys who usually make shots did not is not a strategy”
freshd
May 5th, 2010
12:13 am
Way to go ISO-JOE. You said during the BUCKS series that you and your team mates were only playing for each other. If that”s so, your team quit tonight. It was so bad TNT wanted to play reruns of STEVE HARVEY but the NBA wouldnt let them. WOODROW should have left everyone of his starters in the 4th qtr, because each one of you laid a rotten egg. JOE can leave tommorrow and take DR. EYEBROW with him.
TheAntiMe
May 5th, 2010
12:14 am
I never thought that I could be more disgusted than I was with game 7 against the Celtics. It looks like I was wrong.
Whopper Dawg
May 5th, 2010
12:18 am
Mark,
You nailed it, this game was very characteristic of the Hawks. It looks like this season is a step back regardless of the regular season record assuming that the end goal is to compete for a championship. If the Bucks were healthy, the Hawks wouldn’t even be here. Mental discipline and toughness is what prevents things like this from happening.
gmoney
May 5th, 2010
12:21 am
One word….pathetic…this team will never win with Joe Johnson as the leader making 70 million or whatever…glad he is a free agent…let him go….and Mark is so right about the lottery picks named Williams..can’t overcome these 2 horrible mistakes. Oh sure, I will pay a couple hundred to watch these chumps play.
Bigstack O' Pancakes. It's an Irish name!
May 5th, 2010
12:23 am
Losing by 43 is three steps back.
Tonight's Thumb it in Question . . .
May 5th, 2010
12:23 am
Which +17 point loss to the Magic was your favorite this season?
TheAntiMe
May 5th, 2010
12:24 am
Woody wouldn’t even make a good den mother, much less an NBA coach. He’ll show those underachieving players of his. No milk with their cookies before they go to bed tonight.
The Hawks may as well have Shelly Long as their coach, from Troop Beverly Hills for all the good that their current coach does them.
Tonight's Thumb it in Question . . .
May 5th, 2010
12:25 am
Which +17 point loss to the Magic this season has been your favorite so far?
Blake
May 5th, 2010
12:25 am
I told you so.This team can’t win on the road.So they get caught with their pant’s down again and everyone’s surprised.The hawk’s with Dominique we’re better against Larry Bird and the Celtics than this bunch of clowns.Mark this down:MAGIC IN FOUR!!!!
Blake
May 5th, 2010
12:28 am
It’s time to wake up and come out of your Stupor.This Is the Frigging playoff’s for goodness sakes!
FalconsHawksBravesUGA
May 5th, 2010
12:32 am
This is my 2nd time blogging..
I don’t even know what to say. 43 points 43 points 43 points. There is a classic line in sports that says win by 1 or 20 a win is a win. Well how in the hell do you classify a loss by 43 points???????????? SMH (what up Re)..
I told a friend tonight that me and 4 girls could’ve put up a better effort than this nonsense. Where is the self pride? WHERE IS THIS TEAMS HEART?????? How can you even call yourself a professional after something like this??? Somebody should’ve been in the locker room throwing chairs and kicking trash cans over after this game.. AGAIN I SAY WHERE IS YOUR HEART?????????? Where is the competitive fire??? I guess it’s in the safe deposit box guarding the millions of dollars you make. I stopped watching this game in the 3rd and anyone that knows me knows that’s not even me. I just couldn’t take it anymore. I don’t know man its just disgraceful. I don’t mind a loss but 43 points???? In the PLAYOFFS…. PLAYOFFS………………………………… (in my Jim Mora voice).
Go Hawks!!! We aint dead yet…
Oh one more thing. Can I post my resume on here for the head coaching position???
I love Joe Johnson . .
May 5th, 2010
12:33 am
but he’s played like $#@% the past two games. I know he’s not the vocal leader the Hawks need, but someone (i.e. a new head coach) who might ride his @#$ when he underperforms might be what he truly needs.
sansho1
May 5th, 2010
12:34 am
Man, I knew things were bad…but I didn’t know they were Troop Beverly Hills bad.
urm...
May 5th, 2010
12:40 am
yawn…….
Pell Smells
May 5th, 2010
12:41 am
I suggest we run 4-corners on offense in game 2, don’t even shoot, just run out the shot-clock, only chance to keep under 40….
FalconsHawksBravesUGA
May 5th, 2010
12:42 am
Can I post my resume on here for the head coaching position?
FalconsHawksBravesUGA
May 5th, 2010
12:44 am
This is my 2nd time blogging..
I don’t even know what to say. 43 points 43 points 43 points. There is a classic line in sports that says win by 1 or 20 a win is a win. Well how in the %$#$ do you classify a loss by 43 points???????????? SMH (what up Re)..
I told a friend tonight that me and 4 girls could’ve put up a better effort than this nonsense. Where is the self pride? WHERE IS THIS TEAMS HEART?????? How can you even call yourself a professional after something like this??? Somebody should’ve been in the locker room throwing chairs and kicking trash cans over after this game.. AGAIN I SAY WHERE IS YOUR HEART?????????? Where is the competitive fire??? I guess it’s in the safe deposit box guarding the millions of dollars you make. I stopped watching this game in the 3rd and anyone that knows me knows that’s not even me. I just couldn’t take it anymore. I don’t know man its just disgraceful. I don’t mind a loss but 43 points???? In the PLAYOFFS…. PLAYOFFS………………………………… (in my Jim Mora voice).
Go Hawks!!! We aint dead yet…
Oh one more thing. Can I post my resume on here for the head coaching position???
Big Daddy
May 5th, 2010
12:47 am
Jeff Teague had more points than Jamaal Crawford and Mike Bibby combined. No one is willing to come down the lane and get hit like Charlotte was willing to do to get DH in foul trouble and everyone, Josh included wanted to take jump shots.
If you play organized basketball you are taught at an early age to not rely on your jump shot and when you do attack the rim go into the person trying to block your shot. More times than not they will get a foul or miss the block. When you go in trying to fade from the defender is the time when it is easier for the block.
I expected for the team to compete after they came back in game 6 and 7 and started sharing the ball. They did none of that after the first quarter. It was iso-joe and iso-al and look for Crawford who was hard to find tonight. I kept expecting Jamaal to start to light it up. He has waited so long for the playoff and now that he is here, he has only really shown up in 2 games.
If we don’t start to attack the rim, as we did in games 6 & & with the Bucks, it will be a short series. Play DH straight up, let him get his shots, defend the others, especially Jameer and we have a chance. Keep hoisting jumpshots and not attacking the rim and you will be watching the playoff on TV.
Jason Heyward
May 5th, 2010
12:47 am
The Hawks are the biggest joke in Atlanta sports no matter how you slice it. Pathetic organization. I can’t even watch them (and I haven’t).
Patrick
May 5th, 2010
12:50 am
I’m watching the Lakers and the Jazz right now. When either team has the ball, both players and the ball are moving. I know it’s very late in the season to make huge adjustments like that, but Jerry Sloan and Phil Jackson are both coaches of some note, so maybe it’s worth considering.
Jimmy
May 5th, 2010
12:51 am
I’ve asked this before…why does Joe Johnson think he is worth top money…why does anyone think he is worth top money?
Joe Johnson has never impressed me.
If we had Wade on this team with Joe Johnson…we’d be pretty good.
I just don’t see how we could look like total crap though and get beat like this.
I think we lack a strong leader on the court and on the bench.
JTH
May 5th, 2010
12:52 am
That….was…………..ugly. The nicest thing I could think of to say about the game.
Joe
May 5th, 2010
12:52 am
Charles Barkley said it best. Woody get mad, show some heart. At least act like you care!!
CONCERNED FRIEND
May 5th, 2010
12:53 am
Anybody posting Avery Johnson as the next Atlanta coach should lose their posting rights. How quick you forget how a coach with a 2-0 lead in the NBA finals, game 3, let his team lose an 11 point lead with 5 minutes in the fourth quarter and never won another game.
Avery is a disciplined version of Woody, played the game well, can motivate the players, but cant teach anything to a squad that has lost 6 years of training in fundamentals of basketball: screens, offensive plays……..
Atlanta needs a big time coach,and they will have to pay big bucks for him, his name is not Scott Skiles, Doug Collins, Mark Jackson,Avery Johnson,Del Negro or Del Harris
SUNS are now my second favorite team for showing their LOVE & RESPECT to latinos
May 5th, 2010
12:53 am
I’m a fan of the hawks and i don’t feel sorry for them.
they deserve it FOR GIVING UP.
I blame Joe Johnson for this embarrassing loss, When will people realize he isn’t an all-star?
People keep saying He’s the most underrated player in the NBA but be Realistic he’s freaking OVERRATED!!!
I hope this is the Last season I see Joe Johnson wearing the ATL jersey.
Time to hand DOWN the team to a player that plays with heart,
Its time to give the team to JOSH SMITH!!!
PowerDawg
May 5th, 2010
12:54 am
I said it before the Bucks series ended…the Hawks are an embarassment. They simply cannot win on the road. Why? It’s an enigma. It will be an outright miracle if they don’t get swept. The most pathetic, sickening excuse for a professional sports team I have ever seen…bar none.
JTH
May 5th, 2010
12:54 am
fugly
Jimmy
May 5th, 2010
12:57 am
What big time coach do we even have a chance of getting?
PowerDawg
May 5th, 2010
12:57 am
Pitiful. Embarassing. Pathetic.
JaBe
May 5th, 2010
1:03 am
Hey — Woody try this line-up on Thursday night:
Randolph Morris at center; Al Horford and Josh Smith at power forwards; Crawford, point guard with Teague as backup; Joe Johnson, guard. You’ll never know …. it might work.
No id
May 5th, 2010
1:15 am
Nick Nolte in the movie Blue Chips is a better coach than Woodson in real life
imontheboards
May 5th, 2010
1:17 am
Give it up. Orlando outclasses the Hawks in current form. Sorry. Orlando won the last seven of eight outings – one by a dunk with half a second left.
observor
May 5th, 2010
1:18 am
I previously stated that the hawks could not match up at all with the magic and would be lucky to win two games. At this point I’m going to revive that and say that they will be lucky to even win a game.
I had to laugh at all the delusional homers that actually derided the realists out there for being negative, and then made the absurd prediction that the Hawks would not only play the magic straight up, but would actually have a good chance of winning the series Good call on that one you fools…..
Darrin "The Vent King"
May 5th, 2010
1:26 am
Sign seen on the back of a Hawk’s jersey:
“If found, return to owner- Dwight Howard”
tjhook
May 5th, 2010
1:28 am
the coach that the Hawks need to bring in is Eric Mussleman. Former Hawks’ assistant coach, who also was a head coach who was undone by a DUI charge. Tremendous X and O guy. Father was Bill Mussleman, successful college and pro coach. Mussleman may be willing to come in as an assistant if it will allow him to get his profile back on the map again. Bradley, did you ever meet the younger Mussleman when he worked for the Hawks?
Tweets that mention The Hawks lose Game 1 by 43 points, and it seemed worse | Mark Bradley -- Topsy.com
May 5th, 2010
1:32 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jeff Emanuel, Mark Bradley. Mark Bradley said: The Hawks lose Game 1 by 43 points, and it seemed worse http://bit.ly/9kCAvO [...]
Dr. Warren
May 5th, 2010
1:34 am
6 more regular season wins this year, but likely the same result in the second round. I’ll be impressed–and I don’t mean this sarcastically–if we do win one game. Let’s face the bleak fact: for the Hawks ever to make it past Round 2, they will probably have to return to the lottery and get very lucky and draft a superstar player. That’s just how the system seems to work. Of course, by the time that player finally appears, they might be the Seattle Hawks.
Darrin "The Vent King"
May 5th, 2010
1:38 am
“Hi, my name is Mike Woodson and I’m here to apply for the position of night manager here at Kroger. Do you all have anymore applications?”
Darrin "The Vent King"
May 5th, 2010
1:39 am
“Hi, my name is Mike Woodson and I’m here to apply for the position of night manager here at Kroger. Do you all have anymore applications?”
Orlando Magic News & Notes: Game 1 Recaps | Howard the Dunk | An Orlando Magic Blog
May 5th, 2010
1:39 am
[...] Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has that story here. [...]
col foot
May 5th, 2010
1:40 am
SWEET!
Ted Striker
May 5th, 2010
1:42 am
Maybe the Hawks should bring in Ken Howard to coach game two of the series.
Tdawg
May 5th, 2010
1:59 am
Is it even possible to lose by 43 points? Football maybe, but in basketball? This one game just undid every thing that they had accomplished for the past three years. At least now the Hawks can’t really expect us to watch them anymore. I mean that would constitute cruel and unusual punishment.
jc_dawgs
May 5th, 2010
2:01 am
When do the Falcons start training camp?…..looking forward to it.
LMAO!!!
May 5th, 2010
2:24 am
I GUESS ITS JOE JOHNSON FAULT, JOE DID THIS, JOE DOING THAT, IT IS NOT HIS FAULT AND BRADLEY WRITE SUMTIN POSITIVE ABOUT THE TEAM, U ALWAYS WRITE SUMTIN WHEN THEY LOSE, AND THEN HATES ON JOE JOHNSON, THIS IS NOT HIS FAULT, ITS A TEAM FAULT, U CAN LOOK AT THE SECOND UNIT THEY WAS ON SOME B.S. TOO, YEAH THEY GOT BETTER OVER YEARS BUT THIS IS NOT THERE YEAR TO WIN, AND YALL KNO THAT, DONT HATE JOE CAUSE THIS IS HIS CONTARCT YEAR AND HE TURNED DOWN 60 MILLION, AND YES HES WORTH A MAX, AND HES GONNA GET IT REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOUR PUNK ASS THINKS, JUST GET A REAL POINT GUARD AROUND HIM, AND A TRUE CENTER AND LET JOE PLAY HIS TRU POSITION INSTEAD OF BEING THE PG, THE SG, THE SF, AND THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN STOP PEOPLE ON DEFENSE, AND THATS IN HIS BLOOD TAUGHT BY NOLAN RICHARDSON 40 MIN’S OF HELL!!!